Cold- hearted humanity at it’s worse. Matthew 24:9-13

It’s getting colder. Everyday we can see the evidence of cold hearts who do not care for anyone but themselves. It is a sign of darker and colder times ahead.

When police are killed, people cheer. When babies are aborted in the womb, people rejoice that women are free. If husbands or wives grow tired of their spouses, it seems to be a growing trend to find a way to kill them instead of getting a divorce. When Christians in the Middle East are slaughtered by the thousands, leaders of nations don’t say a word.

This post is another in a series which takes a look at the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew. It’s called the Olivet discourse. In this chapter we have a conversation between Jesus and some of his disciples. They asked him when the end of the world would come, and what will be the sign of his (Jesus) return.

In Matthew 24: 9 we see that Jesus had a somber message for his friends.

They will hate you…they will hurt you…they will hunt you down…they will kill you…

Gospel Truth you can trust!

Jesus gave a description of the end of days we can trust. This wasn’t a teacher using some commentaries about eschatology and giving his ideas of how things will take place. This was Jesus, the perfect Son of God, who spoke perfect Truth. He did not stutter and stumble over what he thought would happen. He said what will happen. We can stumble and argue over interpretation but let’s be clear on one thing. What Jesus said will happen is set in stone. It’s coming.

In verses six and seven he told them about the famines, wars, and earthquakes. Now he gets real personal. I wonder if Jesus looked into their eyes and kept his gaze on them; or did he look off into the distance so they wouldn’t feel he was speaking directly to them. Did they swallow hard and look away or look back at him in quiet shock?

What he said was enough to bring strong men to their knees. These were strong men, but I believe they all thought they were soon going to see the glorious Kingdom of God on earth. They didn’t know that 2,000 more years would have to pass before that Kingdom would be revealed. The passing centuries would batter and beat weary souls and put their faith in Jesus to the test.

Stephen would be the first martyr, the disciples would follow in later years, and countless others would march that same dreadful path through the centuries.

Matthew 24:9

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

Martyred Disciples

Jesus delivered this message to Peter and the other eleven disciples. Only Judas, the one who betrayed him, would escape the persecution. Judas was tormented by his guilt, so he hung himself. The Roman’s threw Christians to the lions for sport. The tale of terror that Christians endured in the last two centuries is shocking. An obvious sign of how cold we have become today is the knee-jerk response from many nay-sayers. If you tell people Christians have suffered horribly over the years, many will quickly respond with their Catholic Church or Crusader Wars horror stories. Someone’s President even chastised a bunch of Christians telling them they should get off their high horses and stop complaining about the Muslims who are slaughtering Christians. “Remember the Crusades.”

Does it bother anyone else how cold people can be when the suffering doesn’t affect them personally? When the leader of the United States of America, the once proud Christian Nation, can rebuke a group of Christians by implying they were just as bad.

If it’s this bad now it’s not going to be pretty when we get closer.

Matthew 24:10

And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

Take up the Cross? No, these people will abandon it!

 

The word ‘offended’ in this verse has a specific meaning. It refers to those who are offended at the message of the Cross, or more specifically, the Good News that Jesus died on the cross for mankind. This verse points to many who will turn away from Christianity and follow a false doctrine. Hatred and betrayal will fill the vacuum in the cold human hearts in the last days.  In chapter ten of Matthew Jesus tells these same disciples that a time will come when parents will betray their kids and send them to those who will kill them. Kids will betray their parents in the same way. I just heard the story of the Catholic Nun who has come to America from Iraq. She has real stories she has lived through of the horrors families are experiencing now. She was almost not allowed to come to the U. S. because many people didn’t want her story told.

Below is a link to a small part of her story. Share her story with as many as possible. Pray for her and pray for those she knows and has seen who are suffering.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/05/10/state-dept-reverses-visa-denial-for-iraqi-nun-to-speak-on-isis-Christian/

Matthew 24:11

And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

 

In first and second Thessalonians we read about a great lie that many people believe. We don’t know what the lie is but we are warned about false Christs in the last days. This is probably what Jesus is speaking about here. Many leaders will deceive the people about Christianity. The truth will be rejected for a lie. Many who are ill-equipped to discern truth from a lie will fall away.

Matthew 24:12

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

 

Do you know the true Gospel?

Millions of people will fall for this lie. It will be subtle but devastating. For those who leave the true Gospel for a false one it will lead to a cold and dark-hearted nature that will lead them to betray those who they once loved. The Christians who stay true to Christ and his Word will endure the worst persecution we have seen in 2,000 years. Over a hundred years ago, one and a half million, mostly Christian-Armenians were slaughtered between 1914 and 1916. It’s known as the Armenian Genocide.  Also in World War Two, six to seven million Jews were experimented upon, gassed, and killed in the Holocaust.

Those are dark scars in the history of humanity. A darker scar is in our future. Jesus sat with his friends, and told them it would happen. He is the Son of God. He cannot lie. There is an important marker in this chapter that lets us know this event is still in the future. I will get to that in a later post.

Matthew 24:13

But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

 

It will not be easy to endure unto the end, but many will. Their reward shall be great and their rest will be glorious. The hate of many will put sweet precious souls through terrible agonies, but their God and mine will bring them to an unspeakable joy and peace.

 

Let’s close with some portions from a glorious Psalm.

Psalm 36

[[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD.]] The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
	Psa 36:2	For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.
	Psa 36:3	The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.
	Psa 36:4	He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.
	Psa 36:5	Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
	Psa 36:6	Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.
	Psa 36:7	How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
	Psa 36:8	They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
	Psa 36:9	For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
	Psa 36:10	O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.
	Psa 36:11	Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.
	Psa 36:12	There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.

 

Clay Writer